September 15, 2017

Black Sea Breezes

Ataker’s Black Sea Breezes at New York Fashion Week

Turkish fashion designer Numan Ataker showcased his 2018 Spring/Summer Collection under the John Paul Ataker brand at New York Fashion Week, promoting “Slow Fashion” at Skylight Clarkson Square.

The runway featured world-renowned models such as Taylor Hill, Lameka Fox, Faretta, Birgit Kos, Charlee Fraser, and Dayana Mendoza, with Karlie Kloss closing the show.

The show, which was attended by celebrities who set trends in fashion, attracted a lot of attention. Among the guests were actress and singer Victoria Justice, pop star and TV personality Paula Abdul, actress Lela Loren, actress and Access Hollywood host Liz Hernandez, E! News host Erin Lim, Actor and Musician Aidan Alexander, Actress, Dancer, and Model Camren Bicondova, Actress Landry Bender, Actress and TV Personality Marla Maples, Rapper/Singer Niatia ‘Lil Mama’ Kirkland, Emmy-nominated singer/songwriter Addie Hamilton, country singer Elizabeth Lyons, and Dorinda Medley, Brazilian actress Gabriela Dias.

The fashion show served as the launch event for John Paul Ataker’s first flagship store in the US, set to open in October 2017 at 804 Madison Avenue and 67th Street in New York City.

The collection reflects the rich culture and folklore of Turkey’s Black Sea Region. The region’s authentic and cultural values are combined with Ataker’s garments, dresses, and pieces designed for both casual and formal wear. The collection’s color palette emphasizes unbleached fabrics, primarily in white, ivory, and black tones.

Numan Ataker adds
ethnic inspired interpretations to his designs.

Numan Ataker, who draws attention with his attention to detail in the fabrics, tailoring, and colors he uses in his garments, stated that he draws inspiration from Turkey’s cultural, natural, and geographical riches and reflects them in his garments. Numan Ataker expressed his joy at bringing the culture inspired by the wicker weaving of Black Sea fishermen, silver craftsmanship, and Trabzon twisted bracelets to New York Fashion Week under the John Paul Ataker brand. He noted that incorporating ethnic-inspired interpretations into his designs holds significant meaning for him, and that through the John Paul Ataker brand, he brings geography to fabrics, He also brought the Black Sea fishermen’s ropes, twisted bracelets, and straw weaves to the runway in New York.

The designs, which transition from day to night, use cotton, viscose, organza, jacquard, and linen fabrics, with the majority of the designs being finished by hand. In the collection, where soft colors take center stage, ivory, white, and black are predominantly used, and all dyes are selected to be safe for human health. The Spring/Summer 2018 Collection is completed with John Paul Ataker’s own shoe designs.

The fashion show concluded with the song “Ella Ella” by Kazım Koyuncu,
a Black Sea musician and Chernobyl victim.

The New York-based design house aims for every woman who wears the brand to feel both the elegance of the design and the soft touch of luxurious fabrics.

John Paul Ataker-designed costumes have been featured in numerous fashion and lifestyle magazines such as Italian Vogue, W, InStyle, Yahoo! Style, and People Magazine. They are also favored by many celebrities, including Gwen Stefani, Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Culpo, Carrie Underwood, Taraji P. Henson, Maria Menouonos, Regina King, Heather Morris, and Evan Rachel Wood.

At his fashion show in New York, Numan Ataker modernized the traditional Black Sea garments of vests, baggy trousers, and peştemals, bringing fisherman’s boots and vineyard boots into the present day.

The fashion show, signed by John Paul Ataker, also drew attention to Chernobyl, which has been a major problem for the Black Sea people for a quarter of a century, causing unhealthy and short lives, serious illnesses, and losses that sometimes reached significant numbers. The show concluded with the song “Ella Ella” by Kazım Koyuncu, a Black Sea musician and Chernobyl victim.